Methods and systems to monitor a media device via a usb port

ABSTRACT

An audience measurement computing system for monitoring a media presentation device in a monitored environment is described and includes a network interface, at least one processor, and a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions executable by the processor(s). The computing system is configured to obtain, via a cable connected to an input port of the media presentation device, a voltage signal generated by the media presentation device based on an operational state of the media presentation device; compare voltage indicated by the voltage signal to a threshold; based on the comparing, generate timestamped operational state data comprising a record indicative of when the media presentation device is in an on-state; obtain audience measurement data representing one or more media signals communicated to the media presentation device; and transmit, via the network interface over a network and to a central facility, the timestamped operational state data and the audience measurement data.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This patent arises from a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser.No. 18/049,187, filed on Oct. 24, 2022, and entitled “METHODS ANDSYSTEMS TO MONITOR A MEDIA DEVICE VIA A USB PORT,” which is acontinuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/989,557, filed onAug. 10, 2020, now U.S. Pat. No. 11,481,801, and entitled “METHODS ANDSYSTEMS TO MONITOR A MEDIA DEVICE VIA A USB PORT,” which is acontinuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/789,332, filed onOct. 20, 2017, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,740,787, and entitled “METHODS ANDSYSTEMS TO MONITOR A MEDIA DEVICE VIA A USB PORT,” which is acontinuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/328,927, filed onDec. 16, 2011, and entitled “METHODS AND SYSTEMS TO MONITOR A MEDIADEVICE VIA A USB PORT.” U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18/049,187,U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/989,557, U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 15/789,332 and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/328,927 arehereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

This patent relates generally to home audience measurement, and, moreparticularly, to methods and systems to monitor a media device via a USBport.

BACKGROUND

Audience measurement of media, such as television and/or radio programs,is typically carried out by monitoring media exposure of panelists thatare statistically selected to represent particular demographic groups.Using various statistical methods, the collected media exposure data isprocessed to determine the size and demographic composition of theaudience(s) for media programs of interest. The audience size anddemographic information is valuable to advertisers, broadcasters and/orother entities. For example, audience size and demographic informationis a factor in the placement of advertisements, as well as a factor invaluing commercial time slots during particular programs.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates an example USB data monitor implemented in accordancewith the teachings of this disclosure to monitor a media presentationdevice via a USB port.

FIG. 2 illustrates the example USB data monitor of FIG. 1 cooperatingwith a meter.

FIGS. 3-5 illustrate example implementations of the USB data monitor ofFIGS. 1 and 2 .

FIG. 6 illustrates an example implementation of the meter of FIG. 2 .

FIGS. 7-10 are flow diagrams representative of example machine readableinstructions that may be executed to implement the example USB datamonitors of FIGS. 3-5 .

FIG. 11 is a flow diagram representative of example machine readableinstructions that may be executed to implement the example meter of FIG.6 .

FIG. 12 is a block diagram of an example processor platform that may beused to execute the instructions of FIGS. 7-11 to implement the exampleUSB data monitors of FIGS. 3-5 , the example meter of FIG. 6 , and/or,more generally, the example systems of FIGS. 1 and 2 .

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Audience measurement companies enlist persons to participate inmeasurement panels. Such persons agree to allow the audience measurementcompany to measure their exposure to media (e.g., television, radio,Internet, advertising, signage, outdoor advertising, etc.). In order tocredit audience measurement data with actual panelist exposure, theaudience measurement company may wish to monitor an operating state of amedia device (e.g., the company may wish to verify that a television ison before crediting viewing of a program on the television).

Some current techniques used to monitor operating states of mediadevices monitor current flow in power cords of the media devices.However, some media devices are being developed to be moreenvironmentally friendly. For example, some media devices are beingdesigned to require less power to operate. These developments have madeit more difficult to determine operating states of media devices bymonitoring current flow in power cords. In addition to monitoring mediadevices to determine their operating states, an audience measurementcompany may wish to collect additional audience measurement data and/ormonitor data being exchanged at the media device. Such additional datamay facilitate further analysis of audience measurement data.

Example methods, apparatus, systems, and/or computer readable storagemedia disclosed herein monitor an operating state of a media deviceand/or monitor data being exchanged at the media device via a universalserial bus (“USB”) port. For instance, some disclosed example methodsinclude obtaining a voltage output by a USB port of a media device. Somesuch disclosed example methods include determining if the voltageexceeds a threshold. If the voltage exceeds the threshold, some suchdisclosed example methods determine the media device is in an on state.If the voltage does not exceed the threshold, some such disclosedexample methods determine the media device is in an off state.

Some disclosed example methods include obtaining a signal at a USB portof a media device. Some such disclosed example methods includedetermining a bit rate of the signal and determining if the bit rateexceeds a threshold. If the bit rate exceeds the threshold, some suchdisclosed example methods determine the media device is involved in adata transfer. If the bit rate does not exceed the threshold, some suchdisclosed example methods determine the media device is not involved ina data transfer.

Some disclosed example systems include a voltage input to obtain avoltage output by a USB port of a media device. Some such disclosedexample systems include a voltage comparator to determine the mediadevice is in an on state if the voltage exceeds the threshold. If thevoltage does not exceed the threshold, the voltage comparator of somesuch disclosed example systems determines the media device is in an offstate.

Some disclosed example systems include a data input to obtain a signalat a USB port of a media device. Some such disclosed example systemsinclude a bit rate comparator to determine the media device is involvedin a data transfer if the bit rate exceeds a threshold. If the bit ratedoes not exceed the threshold, the bit rate comparator of some suchdisclosed example systems determine the media device is not involved ina data transfer.

Some disclosed example tangible computer-readable storage media includeinstructions that, when executed, cause a computing device to at leastcompare a voltage output by a USB port of a media device to a threshold.The instructions of some such examples cause the computing device todetermine the media device is in an on state if the voltage exceeds thethreshold. In some examples, instructions, when executed, cause thecomputing device to determine the media device is in an off state if thevoltage does not exceed the threshold.

Some disclosed example tangible computer-readable storage media includeinstructions that, when executed, cause a computing device to determinea bit rate of a signal at a USB port of a media. In some such examples,instructions, when executed, cause the computing device to determine themedia device is involved in a data transfer if the bit rate exceeds athreshold. The instructions of some such examples cause the computingdevice to determine the media device is not involved in a data transferif the bit rate does not exceed the threshold.

Many media devices (e.g., televisions, digital versatile disk (“DVD”)players, computers, stereo systems, and/or game consoles) are nowmanufactured with USB ports to allow the media devices to communicatewith other devices, present and/or output content from other devices,control other devices, etc. USB interfaces are often preferred bymanufacturers and consumers alike as they provide for standardizedconnections, communication, and power supply between connected devices(e.g., media devices).

Generally, a USB port integrated in a device is powered by that device.Thus, a USB port of a media device is powered on when the media deviceis powered on and is powered off when the media device is powered off.When, for example, a media device is powered on, the integrated USB portof that media device provides a power supply (e.g., a 5 V power supply)on a pin from which a connected device may draw power. Alternatively,when the media device is powered off, its USB port does not provide anypower supply to connected devices.

To transmit and/or receive signals, most USB interfaces include two datapins (D+ and D−) connected to a twisted-pair data cable and utilizehalf-duplex differential signaling. USB data is transmitted by togglingthe data lines between opposite states and is encoded using the NonReturn to Zero Inverted (NRZI) convention. Using the NRZI convention, alow bit is transmitted by toggling the data lines and a high bit istransmitted by leaving the data lines as-is. USB communication isimplemented using packets. Generally, two data packets are used totransfer data and each data packet is capable of transmitting up to 1024bytes of data.

Example USB data monitors disclosed herein advantageously use thecharacteristics of a USB port described above to monitor activities of amedia device housing a USB port. In some examples, a USB data monitorconnects to a USB port of a media presentation device, such as atelevision, and monitors power supplied to the USB port to determine anoperating state of the media presentation device. Based on theavailability of power at the USB port, the USB data monitor determines,stores, and/or reports an on or off state of the media presentationdevice.

In some disclosed examples, a USB data monitor obtains a signal at a USBport of a media presentation device and determines if the mediapresentation device is involved in a data transfer. The example USB datamonitor stores and/or reports transfer activity data representative ofan occurrence of a data transfer. In some examples, the USB data monitorcollects data from the signal and stores and/or transfers the collecteddata to a central monitoring site. The USB data monitors of someexamples transfer operating state data, transfer activity data, and/orcollected data to a central data facility and/or a metering deviceeither wirelessly or directly for further audience measurementprocessing.

Some example USB data monitors disclosed herein are implemented in thecontext of home audience measurement. In some examples, the USB datamonitors enable a determination of an operating state of a mediapresentation device, a determination of whether the media presentationdevice is involved in a data transfer, and/or collection of data beingtransferred and/or received by the media presentation device using a USBport. This information is a factor in determining when and/or whether tomonitor (i.e., collect) audience measurement data and/or whether tocredit collected data as actual exposure.

FIG. 1 illustrates an example USB data monitor 102 implemented inaccordance with the teachings of this disclosure to monitor a mediapresentation device 104 via a USB port 106. The USB port 106 of theillustrated example forms part of (e.g., is integrated with) the examplemedia presentation device 104. In the illustrated example, the USB datamonitor 102, the media presentation device 104, and an external mediadevice 108 are located in a home monitoring site 110. The homemonitoring site 110 of the illustrated example is a household that hasvolunteered, has been selected and/or has agreed to participate in ahome audience measurement system (e.g., residents of the household haveagreed to monitoring of their media exposure).

The USB data monitor 102 of the illustrated example is used to monitorthe media presentation device 104 to aid in the processing of audiencemeasurement data obtained at the monitored site 110. In the illustratedexample, the USB data monitor 102 connects to the USB port 106 of themedia presentation device 104. Many devices, such as the mediapresentation device 104, are equipped with USB ports to enablecommunication with external devices, such as the external media device108. The media presentation device 104 may be, for example, atelevision, a radio, a computer, a stereo system, a DVD player, a gameconsole, etc. The external media device 108 may be, for example, a DVDplayer, a digital camera, a game console, a speaker, etc.

The USB data monitor 102 of the illustrated example operates as apass-through device so that communication between the media presentationdevice 104 and the external media device 108 is not disturbed (e.g., theexternal media device 108 can be used as normal while the USB datamonitor 102 is connected). Further, the USB data monitor 102 of theillustrated example does not interfere with operation of the mediapresentation device 104. To operate as a pass-through device, theexample USB data monitor 102 of the illustrated example includes a maleUSB connector to connect to the USB port 106 (e.g., directly orindirectly via a cable) and a female USB connector to connect to theexternal media device 108 (e.g., directly or indirectly via a cable).

To aid in processing audience measurement data obtained at the monitoredsite 110, the USB data monitor 102 of the illustrated example monitorspower at the USB port 106 and/or signals being transmitted and/orreceived at the USB port 106 of the media presentation device 104. Inthe illustrated example, the USB data monitor 102 determines anoperating state of the media presentation device 104 (i.e., whether themedia presentation device 104 is in an on or off state) by monitoringthe availability of power at the USB port 106. As described above, whenthe example media presentation device 104 is powered on, the USB port106 is powered on and a connected device (e.g., the USB data monitor102) may draw from that power. When the example media presentationdevice 104 is powered off, power is not available at the USB port 106.While the USB data monitor 102 of the illustrated example allows theexternal media device 108 to communicate with the media presentationdevice 104, the USB data monitor 102 may determine an operating state ofthe media presentation device 104 when no external device (e.g., theexternal media device 108) is connected.

To monitor the availability of power at the media presentation device104, the USB data monitor 102 of the illustrated example obtains avoltage output by the USB port 106 of the media presentation device 104.The USB port 106 of the media presentation device 104 of the illustratedexample includes a power pin and a ground pin. The USB data monitor 102of the illustrated example compares the magnitude of the voltageobtained on the power pins (e.g., a differential voltage) of the USBport 106 to a voltage threshold. If the magnitude of the voltage exceedsthe voltage threshold, the USB data monitor 102 of the illustratedexample determines that the media presentation device 104 is in an onstate. If the magnitude of the voltage does not exceed the voltagethreshold, the USB data monitor 102 of the illustrated exampledetermines that the media presentation device 104 is in an off state.The voltage threshold may be any value that, if exceeded, would indicatethat the media presentation device 104 is powered on. Thus, the voltagethreshold may be, for example, the value “0.”

The operating state of the media presentation device 104 is important inthe context of home audience measurement to determine whether to creditcollected audience measurement data as data actually presented to anaudience. For example, it is possible for a media device, such as a settop box, integrated receiver decoder, cable converter, etc., to outputmedia signals that are not actually presented to an audience because thecorresponding information presenting device (e.g., a television) isturned off. Detecting if the information presenting device is on or offis, thus, an important clue in determining whether to credit an audiencewith exposure to media (e.g., media content or an advertisement),especially in instances where the source device (e.g., the set top box)is monitored to identify content or tuning information and the sourcedevice may be left on when the information presenting device is off.

In some examples, the USB data monitor 102 monitors signals beingtransmitted and/or received at the USB port 106 to determine if themedia presentation device 104 is involved in a data transfer. A datatransfer may indicate, for example, that data is being passed betweenthe media presentation device 104 and the external media device 108 and,thus, that a panelist is being exposed to content on the mediapresentation device 104 using the external media device 108. Todetermine if the media presentation device 104 is involved in a datatransfer, the USB data monitor 102 of the illustrated example monitorssignals being transmitted and/or received at the USB port 106 of themedia presentation device 104. When the USB port 106 of the illustratedexample is not transmitting and/or receiving data packets, traffic atthe USB port 106 of the media presentation device 104 will be relativelyinsignificant. For example, small amounts of bytes (e.g., not more than100 bytes) will be transferred. During a data transfer, however, thetraffic at the USB port 106 of the media presentation device 104 will bemore significant, for example, tens of kilobytes or megabytes of datatransferred per second.

To determine if the media presentation device 104 is involved in a datatransfer, the USB data monitor 102 of the illustrated example obtains asignal at two data pins on the USB port 106 of the media presentationdevice 104 and determines a bit rate of the signal. In the illustratedexample, the USB data monitor 102 collects (e.g., copies) the signal forsome time interval, extracts bits from the collected signal, anddetermines an associated bit rate. The USB data monitor 102 of theillustrated example compares the bit rate of the signal to a threshold.If the bit rate exceeds the threshold, the USB data monitor 102 of theillustrated example determines that the media presentation device 104 isinvolved in a data transfer. If the bit rate does not exceed thethreshold, the USB data monitor 102 of the illustrated exampledetermines that the media presentation device 104 is not involved in adata transfer. The threshold may be set to any value that, if exceeded,would indicate a data transfer at the media presentation device 104.

In some examples, the USB data monitor 102 collects data from the signalat the USB port 106 of the media presentation device 104. Collected datamay include, for example, a type of data transfer occurring, sourceinformation, a payload, a media or station identifier code extractedfrom the audio, metadata, a signature (e.g., an inherent characteristicof the signal that may be used as a fingerprint to identify the signaland/or the media it carries), video data, and/or data. The collecting ofdata from the signal may be continuous and/or may be triggered, forexample, by a determination of the USB data monitor 102 of theillustrated example that the media presentation device 104 is involvedin a data transfer.

Consumers often utilize external media devices (e.g., DVD players, settop boxes, etc.) to view content on media presentation devices, such asthe media presentation device 104. Use of the USB data monitor 102 todetermine if the media presentation device 104 is involved in a datatransfer (e.g., sending and/or receiving data) and/or to collect datafrom data traffic are useful in the context of home audience measurementto determine whether to credit collected audience measurement data(e.g., in determining whether data from the external media device 108 isactually presented via the media presentation device 104) and to analyzecollected audience measurement data.

Once the USB data monitor 102 has determined an operating state of themedia presentation device 104, determined if the media presentationdevice 104 is involved in a data transfer, and/or has collected datafrom the data traffic, the USB data monitor 102 of the illustratedexample stores and timestamps the determined information and/or data.For example, the USB data monitor 102 of the illustrated example storesand timestamps operating state data representative of whether the mediapresentation device 104 is in an on state or an off state. Operatingstate data may be, for example, a bit set high to indicate the mediapresentation device 104 is powered on and/or a bit set low to indicatethe media presentation device 104 is powered off. In some examples, theUSB data monitor 102 additionally or alternatively stores and timestampstransfer activity data representative of an occurrence of a datatransfer at the media presentation device 104. Transfer activity datamay be, for example, a bit set high to indicate a data transfer at themedia presentation device 104 and/or a bit set low to indicate no datatransfer at the media presentation device 104. In some examples, the USBdata monitor 102 stores and timestamps data collected from the signal atthe USB port 106 of the media presentation device 104.

In the illustrated example, the USB data monitor 102 transmits operatingstate data, transfer activity data, collected data, and/or the signalitself to a remotely located central data collection facility 112 via anetwork 114 for further processing. The central facility 112 of theillustrated example collects and/or stores, for example, media exposuredata, media monitoring data, and/or demographic information that iscollected by multiple media monitoring devices such as, for example, theUSB data monitor 102 associated with different monitored sites. Thecentral facility 112 may be, for example, a facility associated with TheNielsen Company (US), LLC or any affiliate of The Nielsen Company (US),LLC. The central facility 112 of the illustrated example includes aserver 116 and a database 118 that may be implemented using any suitableprocessor, memory and/or data storage apparatus such as that shown inFIG. 12 .

The network 114 of the illustrated example is used to communicateinformation and/or data between the example USB data monitor 102 and thecentral facility 112. The network 114 may be implemented using any typeof public and/or private network such as, but not limited to, theInternet, a telephone network, a local area network (“LAN”), a cablenetwork, and/or a wireless network. To enable communication via thenetwork 114, the USB data monitor 102 of the illustrated exampleincludes a communication interface that enables connection to anEthernet, a digital subscriber line (“DSL”), a telephone line, a coaxialcable, and/or any wireless connection, etc.

FIG. 2 illustrates an example manner in which the USB data monitor 102of FIG. 1 may be employed to monitor the media presentation device 104via the USB port 106. As in the example of FIG. 1 , the central facility112 collects and aggregates data from any number of monitored sites 110via the network 114. In the illustrated example, a meter 202 is includedin the monitored home site 110. The meter 202 of the illustrated exampleis located at the monitored site 110 to perform local processing ofinformation collected by the example USB data monitor 102.

As in the example of FIG. 1 , the USB data monitor 102 connects to theUSB port 106 of the media presentation device 104 to monitor the mediapresentation device 104. The USB data monitor 102 of the illustratedexample determines an operating state of the media presentation device104. The USB data monitor 102 may additionally or alternativelydetermine if the media presentation device 104 is involved in a datatransfer, and/or may collect data from the signal at the USB port 106 ofthe media presentation device 104.

In the illustrated example, the USB data monitor 102 transfers collecteddata such as operating state data, transfer activity data, codes,signatures, metadata, and/or other data to the meter 202. The meter 202of the illustrated example collects audience measurement data from theUSB data monitor 102 and/or any other device used to collect audiencemeasurement data, such as, for example, a people meter which collectsinformation to identify persons in the audience. The meter 202 of theillustrated example collects and/or processes the home audiencemeasurement data locally and/or transfers the processed data to thecentral data facility 112 via the network 114. For example, if the USBdata monitor 102 provides the meter 202 with a media signal (e.g., anaudio portion of a media signal), the meter 202 may process the mediasignal (or a portion thereof) to extract codes and/or metadata, and/orto generate signatures for use in identifying the media and/or a stationtransmitting the media. In some examples, the meter 202 may perform thetimestamping discussed above. In some examples, a concentrator is usedto collect data from two or more audience measurement devicesdistributed throughout the monitored site 110 and to pass the collecteddata to the meter 202.

The meter 202 of the illustrated example uses data collected frommultiple devices, including the USB data monitor 102, to makedeterminations about media exposure. For example, the meter 202 mayreceive transfer activity data from the USB data monitor 102 indicatingthat the media presentation device 104 is involved in a data transfer(e.g., a bit set high to indicate a data transfer). Because the USB datamonitor 102 determined that the media presentation device 104 wasinvolved in a data transfer, the meter 202 may determine that content isbeing provided by the external media device 108 coupled to the USB port106. In some examples, the meter 202 may compare data collected from theUSB data monitor 102 (e.g., audio) to audio present at a speaker toidentify the external media device 108 as the source of the audio. Themeter 202 of the illustrated example then passes determined and/orcollected data to the central facility 112 via the network 114. The datamay be data from the USB data monitor 102, data collected by the meter202, and/or data collected by other devices.

In the illustrated example, the USB data monitor 102 and the meter 202are connected using wired connections (for example, Ethernet cablesand/or fiber optic cables). In some examples, the USB data monitor 102transfers information and/or data to the meter 202 wirelessly.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an example implementation of the USB datamonitor 102 of FIGS. 1 and/or 2 . In the illustrated example, the USBdata monitor 102 is used to determine an operating state of a mediapresentation device, for example, the media presentation device 104 ofFIG. 1 . The USB data monitor 102 of the illustrated example monitors anavailability of power at the USB port 106 to determine the operatingstate of the media presentation device 104. In the illustrated example,the USB data monitor 102 includes a pass through port 302, a voltageinput 304, a voltage comparator 306, a voltage threshold 308, atimestamper 310, a database 312, and a transmitter 314.

The pass through port 302 of the illustrated example allowscommunication between the media presentation device 104 and an externaldevice (e.g., the external media device 108) to operate undisturbed. Thepower and/or data at the USB port 106 is passed to the external mediadevice 108 by the pass through port 302 of the illustrated example sothat the external media device 108 can be used as normal while the USBdata monitor 102 is connected. The pass through port 302 also allowsdata to pass from the external media device 108 to the USB port 106.Although the pass through port 302 of the illustrated example allows theUSB data monitor 102 to monitor the media presentation device 104 whilethe external media device 108 is connected, the USB data monitor 102 maymonitor the media presentation device 104 when the external media device108 is not connected.

The voltage input 304 of the illustrated example is used to obtain avoltage output by the USB port 106 of the media presentation device 104(e.g., on the power pins of the USB port 106). The voltage comparator306 of the illustrated example compares the magnitude of the voltagedetected at the power pins (e.g., a differential voltage) of the USBport 106 to the voltage threshold 308. If the detected voltage exceedsthe voltage threshold 308, the voltage comparator 306 determines thatthe media presentation device 104 is in an on state. If the detectedvoltage does not exceed the voltage threshold 308, the voltagecomparator 306 determines that the media presentation device 104 is inan off state. The voltage threshold 308 of the illustrated example maybe any value that, if exceeded, would indicate that the mediapresentation device 104 is powered on, for example, the value “0.” Thevoltage detected from the USB port 106 may be conditioned (e.g.,rectified) to enable the comparison of the magnitude of the detectedvoltage to the threshold 308 without accounting for polarity.

The voltage comparator 306 of the illustrated example transfersoperating state data to the timestamper 310. The operating state data isindicative of whether the media presentation device 104 is in an on oran off state. The operating state data may be, for example, a bit sethigh to indicate the media presentation device 104 is in an on stateand/or a bit set low to indicate the media presentation device 104 is inan off state. The timestamper 310 of the illustrated example timestampsthe operating state data to record times and/or dates at which the mediapresentation device 104 is in the corresponding operating state. Thetimestamper 310 passes the timestamped operating state data to thedatabase 312 where the timestamped operating state data is stored. Thetimestamped operating state data is passed to the transmitter 314 of theillustrated example to be transmitted from the data monitor 102 to ameter, for example, the meter 202 of FIG. 2 .

In some examples, the transmitter 314 passes operating state datadirectly to a central facility, such as the central facility 112 of FIG.1 , when no meter 202 is present. In some examples, the operating statedata is passed directly from the voltage comparator 306 to thetransmitter 314 to be transmitted to the meter 202 and the meter 202performs the timestamping. In the illustrated example, the data monitor102 transfers the operating state data to the meter 202 using a wiredconnection. In other examples, the data monitor 102 transfers theoperating state data to the meter 202 wirelessly.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of another example implementation of the USBdata monitor 102 of FIGS. 1 and 2 . In the illustrated example, the USBdata monitor 102 is used to detect an occurrence of a data transfer toand/or from the media presentation device, for example, the mediapresentation device 104 of FIG. 1 . The USB data monitor 102 of theillustrated example detects an occurrence of a data transfer bymonitoring signal traffic at the USB port 106 of the media presentationdevice 104. In the illustrated example, the USB data monitor 102includes a pass through port 302, a data input 402, a bit ratecomparator 404, a timer 406, a data threshold 408, a timestamper 310, adatabase 312, and a transmitter 314. The pass through port 302, thetimestamper 310, the database 312, and the transmitter 314 are similarto their counterparts in the example of FIG. 3 and, thus, have beenassigned the same reference numerals. Elements numbered with likereference numbers are substantially similar and/or identical and, thus,are not redescribed in detail here. Instead, the intended reader isreferred to the above descriptions of the like numbered elements for afull and complete description of the same.

The data input 402 of the illustrated example is used to obtain a signalat the USB port 106 (e.g., a transmitted or received signal) of themedia presentation device 104 (e.g., on the data pins of the USB port106). The traffic flow across the data pins is a relatively small amountwhen there is no data transfer occurring at the media presentationdevice 104 and is a larger amount when a data transfer is occurring atthe media presentation device 104. The signal at the USB port 106 is adifferential signal and may be converted to a single-ended output (e.g.,using a transceiver) once received by the data input 402 prior toanalysis by the bit rate comparator 404.

The bit rate comparator 404 of the illustrated example tracks the numberof bits being transmitted and/or received at the data input 402 and, incooperation with a clock signal output by the timer 406, determines abit rate of the signal at the data input 402. For example, the bit ratecomparator 404 sets a time interval to be used to determine the bit rateof the signal. The bit rate comparator 404 starts the timer 406 andbegins to extract bits being transmitted and/or received at the datainput 402. The bit rate comparator 404 continues to extract bits fromthe signal until the timer 406 indicates that the set time interval haslapsed. The bit rate comparator 404 counts the bits extracted during thetime interval. The bit rate comparator 404 determines the bit rate ofthe signal by dividing the number of bits transmitted and/or received atthe data input 402 by the time interval tracked by the timer 406.

The bit rate comparator 404 of the illustrated example compares thedetermined bit rate to the threshold 408. If the bit rate exceeds thethreshold 408, the bit rate comparator 404 determines the mediapresentation device 104 is involved in a data transfer. If the bit ratedoes not exceed the threshold 408, the bit rate comparator 404determines the media presentation device 104 is not involved in a datatransfer. The data threshold 408 may be any value that, if exceeded,would indicate an occurrence of a data transfer at the mediapresentation device 104.

The bit rate comparator 404 of the illustrated example transferstransfer activity data indicative of whether the media presentationdevice 104 is determined to be involved in a data transfer or notinvolved in a data transfer to the timestamper 310. This transferactivity data may be, for example, a bit set high to indicate a datatransfer and/or a bit set low to indicate no data transfer. Thetimestamper 310 of the illustrated example timestamps the transferactivity data and passes the transfer activity data to the database 312where the transfer activity data is stored. The timestamped transferactivity data is passed to the transmitter 314 of the illustratedexample to be transmitted from the data monitor 102 to a meter, forexample, the meter 202 of FIG. 2 . In some examples, the transmitter 314passes transfer activity data to a central facility, such as the centralfacility 112 of FIG. 1 , when no meter 202 is present. In some examples,the transfer activity data is passed directly from the bit ratecomparator 404 to the transmitter 314 to be transmitted to the meter 202and the meter 202 performs the timestamping (e.g., the timestamper 310is omitted from the USB data monitor 102). In the example illustrated inFIG. 5 , the data monitor 102 transfers the transfer activity data tothe meter 202 using a wired connection. In some examples, the datamonitor 102 transfers the transfer activity data to the meter 202wirelessly.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of another example implementation of the USBdata monitor 102 of FIGS. 1 and/or 2 . In the illustrated example, theUSB data monitor 102 detects a data transfer at the USB port 106 of themonitored media presentation device 104, and additionally operates tocollect data from the signal at the USB port 106 of the monitored mediapresentation device 104. In the illustrated example, the USB monitor 102includes a pass through port 302, a data input 402, a bit ratecomparator 404, a timer 406, a threshold 408, a timestamper 310, adatabase 312, a transmitter 314, and a data collector 502. The passthrough port 302, the data input 402, the bit rate comparator 404, thetimer 406, the threshold 408, the timestamper 310, the database 312, andthe transmitter 314 of FIG. 5 are similar to their counterparts in theexamples of FIGS. 3 and 4 and, thus, have been assigned the samereference numerals. Elements numbered with like reference numbers aresubstantially similar and/or identical and, thus, are not redescribed indetail here. Instead, the intended reader is referred to the abovedescriptions of the like numbered elements for a full and completedescription of the same.

The data collector 502 of the illustrated example collects data from thesignal obtained by the data input 402 at the USB port 106 of the mediapresentation device 104. Collected data may include, for example, a typeof data transfer occurring, source information, a payload, a code,metadata, a signature and/or the audio signal itself. The data collector502 of the illustrated example collects data constantly. In someexamples, the collection of data is periodic or aperiodic, and/or may betriggered, for example, by the determination of the bit rate comparator404 that the media presentation device 104 is involved in a datatransfer. The data collector 502 of the illustrated example transfersthe collected data to the timestamper 310 to be timestamped and storedin the database 312. The timestamped data is passed to the transmitter314 of the illustrated example to be transmitted to a meter, forexample, the meter 202 of FIG. 2 . In some examples, the transmitter 314transfers data and/or the audio signal directly to a central facility,for example, the central facility 112 of FIG. 1 , when no meter 202 ispresent. In some examples, the data collector 502 transfers the dataand/or the audio signal directly to the transmitter 314 to betransmitted to the meter 202 and the meter performs the timestamping(e.g., the timestamper 310 is omitted). In the illustrated example, thedata monitor 102 transfers the collected data and/or the audio signal tothe meter 202 using a wired connection. In some examples, the datamonitor 102 transfers the collected data and/or the audio signal to themeter 202 wirelessly.

The components of the example USB data monitors 102 illustrated in FIGS.3-5 may be implemented to enable the USB data monitor 102 to perform anycombination of or all of: monitoring the operating state of the mediapresentation device 104, detecting a data transfer at the mediapresentation device 104, and/or collecting data at the mediapresentation device 104.

While example USB data monitors 102 have been illustrated in FIGS. 3-5 ,one or more of the elements, processes and/or devices illustrated inFIGS. 3-5 may be combined, divided, re-arranged, omitted, eliminatedand/or implemented in any other way. Further, the pass through port 302,the voltage input 304, the voltage comparator 306, the voltage threshold308, the timestamper 310, the database 312, the transmitter 314, thedata input 402, the bit rate comparator 404, the timer 406, thethreshold 408, the data collector 502, and/or, more generally, theexample USB data monitors 102 of FIGS. 3-5 may be implemented byhardware, software, firmware and/or any combination of hardware,software and/or firmware. Thus, for example, any of the example passthrough port 302, the voltage input 304, the voltage comparator 306, thevoltage threshold 308, the timestamper 310, the database 312, thetransmitter 314, the data input 402, the bit rate comparator 404, thetimer 406, the threshold 408, the data collector 502, and/or, moregenerally, the example USB data monitors 102 of FIGS. 3-5 could beimplemented by one or more circuit(s), programmable processor(s),application specific integrated circuit(s) (“ASIC(s)”), programmablelogic device(s) (“PLD(s)”) and/or field programmable logic device(s)(“FPLD(s)”), etc. When any of the apparatus or system claims of thispatent are read to cover a purely software and/or firmwareimplementation, at least one of the example pass through port 302, thevoltage input 304, the voltage comparator 306, the voltage threshold308, the timestamper 310, the database 312, the transmitter 314, thedata input 402, the bit rate comparator 404, the timer 406, thethreshold 408, and/or the data collector 502 are hereby expresslydefined to include a tangible computer readable medium such as a memory,DVD, compact disc (“CD”), etc. storing the software and/or firmware.Further still, the example USB data monitors 102 of FIGS. 3-5 mayinclude one or more elements, processes and/or devices in addition to,or instead of, those illustrated in FIGS. 3-5 , and/or may include morethan one of any or all of the illustrated elements, processes anddevices.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of an example implementation of the meter 202of FIG. 2 . The meter 202 of the illustrated example is used to collect,aggregate, locally process, and/or transfer data to a central datafacility, such as the central data facility 112, via the network 114 ofFIG. 1 . In the illustrated example, the meter 202 is used to extractand/or analyze codes and/or signatures from data and/or signalscollected by the USB data monitor 102 and/or input to the meter 202 inanother manner (e.g., free field audio detected by the meter 202 with amicrophone exposed to ambient sound). In some examples, the meter 202collects data from multiple devices using, for example, a concentrator.The meter 202 of the illustrated example includes an input 602, a codecollector 604, a signature generator 606, control logic 608, a database610, and a transmitter 612.

Identification codes, such as watermarks, ancillary codes, etc. may beembedded within media signals. Identification codes are digital datathat are inserted into content (e.g., audio) to uniquely identifybroadcasters and/or media (e.g., content or advertisements), and/or arecarried with the media for another purpose such as tuning (e.g., packetidentifier headers (“PIDs”) used for digital broadcasting). Codes aretypically extracted using a decoding operation.

Signatures are a representation of some characteristic of the mediasignal (e.g., a characteristic of the frequency spectrum of the signal).Signatures can be thought of as fingerprints. They are typically notdependent upon insertion of identification codes in the media, butinstead preferably reflect an inherent characteristic of the mediaand/or the media signal. Systems to utilize codes and/or signatures foraudience measurement are long known. See, for example, Thomas, U.S. Pat.No. 5,481,294, which is hereby incorporated by reference in itsentirety.

In the illustrated example, the input 602 obtains a data signal from adevice, such as the USB data monitor 102. In some examples, the input602 is a microphone exposed to ambient sound in a monitored location andserves to collect audio played by an information presenting device. Asdescribed above, the USB data monitor 102 may collect data and/or anoutput of the signal (e.g., the audio component) from the USB port 106of the media presentation device 104. Thus, in some examples, the input602 receives the signal or a portion of the signal (e.g., the audio)from the USB data monitor 102. The input 602 of the illustrated examplepasses the received signal (e.g., a digital audio signal) to the codecollector 604 and/or the signature generator 606. The code collector 604of the illustrated example extracts codes and/or the signature generator606 generates signatures from the signal to identify broadcasters,channels, stations, and/or programs. The control logic 608 of theillustrated example is used to control the code collector 604 and thesignature generator 606 to cause collection of a code, a signature, orboth a code and a signature. The identified codes and/or signatures arestored in the database 610 of the illustrated example and aretransmitted to the central facility 112 via the network 114 by thetransmitter 612 of the illustrated example. Although the example of FIG.6 collects codes and/or signatures from an audio signal, codes orsignatures can additionally or alternatively be collected from otherportion(s) of the signal (e.g., from the video portion).

While an example meter 202 has been illustrated in FIG. 6 , one or moreof the elements, processes and/or devices illustrated in FIG. 6 may becombined, divided, re-arranged, omitted, eliminated and/or implementedin any other way. Further the input 602, the code collector 604, thesignature generator 606, the control logic 608, the database 610, thetransmitter 612, and/or, more generally, the example meter 202 of FIG. 6may be implemented by hardware, software, firmware and/or anycombination of hardware, software and/or firmware. Thus, for example,any of the example input 602, the code collector 604, the signaturegenerator 606, the control logic 608, the database 610, the transmitter612, and/or, more generally, the example meter 202 of FIG. 6 could beimplemented by one or more circuit(s), programmable processor(s),ASIC(s), PLD(s) and/or FPLD(s), etc. When any of the apparatus or systemclaims of this patent are read to cover a purely software and/orfirmware implementation, at least one of the example input 602, the codecollector 604, the signature generator 606, the control logic 608, thedatabase 610, the transmitter 612, and/or the meter 202 are herebyexpressly defined to include a tangible computer readable medium such asa memory, DVD, CD, etc. storing the software and/or firmware. Furtherstill, the example meter 202 of FIG. 6 may include one or more elements,processes and/or devices in addition to, or instead of, thoseillustrated in FIG. 6 , and/or may include more than one of any or allof the illustrated elements, processes and devices.

Flowcharts representative of example machine readable instructions forimplementing example USB data monitors 102 of FIGS. 3-5 are shown inFIGS. 7-10 . In these examples, the machine readable instructionscomprise a program for execution by a processor such as the processor1212 shown in the example processor platform 1200 discussed below inconnection with FIG. 12 . The program may be embodied in software storedon a tangible computer readable medium such as a compact disc read-onlymemory (“CD-ROM”), a floppy disk, a hard drive, a DVD, or a memoryassociated with the processor 1212, but the entire program and/or partsthereof could alternatively be executed by a device other than theprocessor 1212 and/or embodied in firmware or dedicated hardware.Further, although the example program is described with reference to theflowcharts illustrated in FIGS. 7-10 , many other methods ofimplementing the example USB data monitor 102 may alternatively be used.For example, the order of execution of the blocks may be changed, and/orsome of the blocks described may be changed, eliminated, or combined.

As mentioned above, the example processes of FIGS. 7-10 may beimplemented using coded instructions (e.g., computer readableinstructions) stored on a tangible computer readable medium such as ahard disk drive, a flash memory, a read-only memory (“ROM”), a CD, aDVD, a cache, a random-access memory (“RAM”) and/or any other storagemedia in which information is stored for any duration (e.g., forextended time periods, permanently, brief instances, for temporarilybuffering, and/or for caching of the information). As used herein, theterm tangible computer readable medium is expressly defined to includeany type of computer readable storage and to exclude propagatingsignals. Additionally or alternatively, the example processes of FIGS.7-10 may be implemented using coded instructions (e.g., computerreadable instructions) stored on a non-transitory computer readablemedium such as a hard disk drive, a flash memory, a read-only memory, acompact disk, a digital versatile disk, a cache, a random-access memoryand/or any other storage media in which information is stored for anyduration (e.g., for extended time periods, permanently, brief instances,for temporarily buffering, and/or for caching of the information). Asused herein, the term non-transitory computer readable medium isexpressly defined to include any type of computer readable medium and toexclude propagating signals. As used herein, when the phrase “at least”is used as the transition term in a preamble of a claim, it isopen-ended in the same manner as the term “comprising” is open ended.Thus, a claim using “at least” as the transition term in its preamblemay include elements in addition to those expressly recited in theclaim.

FIG. 7 is a flow diagram representative of example machine readableinstructions that may be executed to implement the example USB datamonitor 102 of FIG. 3 . The USB data monitor 102 of the illustratedexample is used to determine an operating state of a media presentationdevice, such as the media presentation device 104. The operating stateof the media presentation device 104 is useful in the context of homeaudience measurement for example, to allow an audience measurementcompany to decide whether to credit audience exposure to media.

Initially, the voltage input 304 of the illustrated example obtains avoltage output by the USB port 106 of the media presentation device 104(block 702). The voltage input 304 of the illustrated example obtainsthe voltage on the power pins of the USB port 106. The voltagecomparator 306 of the illustrated example compares the detected voltageat the USB port 106 to the voltage threshold 308 (block 704). If thedetected voltage exceeds the voltage threshold 308, the voltagecomparator 306 of the illustrated example determines the mediapresentation device 104 is in an on state (block 706). If the detectedvoltage does not exceed the voltage threshold 308, the voltagecomparator 306 of the illustrated example determines the mediapresentation device is in an off state (block 708).

The voltage comparator 306 of the illustrated example sends operatingstate data representative of whether the media presentation device 104is in an on state or in an off state (e.g., a bit set high to indicatean on state and/or a bit set low to indicate an off state) to thetimestamper 310. The timestamper 310 of the illustrated exampletimestamps the operating state data (block 710) and sends thetimestamped operating state data to the database 312. The database 312of the illustrated example stores the timestamped operating state data(block 712) and sends the timestamped operating state data to thetransmitter 314. The transmitter 314 of the illustrated exampletransmits the operating state data to, for example, a central facility(e.g., the central facility 108 of FIG. 1 ) (block 714). In someexamples, the transmitter 314 transmits the operating state data to ameter, such as the meter 202 of FIG. 2 , and/or the timestamping is notperformed at the USB data monitor 102. Control then returns to block 704when the instructions are completed.

FIG. 8 is a flow diagram representative of example machine readableinstructions that may be executed to implement the example USB datamonitor 102 of FIG. 4 . The USB data monitor 102 of the illustratedexample is used to detect an occurrence of a data transfer at a mediapresentation device, such as the media presentation device 104.

Initially, the data input 402 of the illustrated example obtains asignal at the USB port 106 of the media presentation device 104 (block802). The data input 402 of the illustrated example obtains the signalat the data pins of the USB port 106. The bit rate comparator 404 of theillustrated example determines a bit rate of the signal obtained fromthe data input 402 (block 804). Example machine readable instructionsthat may be executed to determine the bit rate of the signal areillustrated in FIG. 10 and described in detail below. The bit ratecomparator 404 of the illustrated example compares the determined bitrate of the signal to the threshold bit rate 408 (block 806). If the bitrate exceeds the threshold 408, the bit rate comparator 404 of theillustrated example determines the media presentation device 104 isinvolved in a data transfer (block 808). If the bit rate does not exceedthe threshold 408, the bit rate comparator 404 of the illustratedexample determines the media presentation device 104 is not involved ina data transfer (block 810).

The bit rate comparator 404 of the illustrated example passes transferactivity data indicative of whether the media presentation device 104 isinvolved in a data transfer (e.g., a bit set high to indicate a datatransfer and/or a bit set low to indicate no data transfer) to thetimestamper 310. The timestamper 310 of the illustrated exampletimestamps the transfer activity data (block 812) and sends the transferactivity data to the database 312. The database 312 of the illustratedexample stores the transfer activity data (block 814) and sends thetransfer activity data to the transmitter 314. The transmitter 314 ofthe illustrated example transmits the transfer activity data to, forexample, a central facility (e.g., the central facility 108 of FIG. 1 )(block 816). In some examples, the transmitter 314 transmits thetransfer activity data to a meter, for example the meter 202 of FIG. 2 ,and/or timestamping is not performed at the USB data monitor 102.Control then returns to block 802 when the instructions are completed.

FIG. 9 is a flow diagram representative of example machine readableinstructions that may be executed to implement the example USB datamonitor 102 of FIG. 5 . The USB data monitor 102 of the illustratedexample is used to detect an occurrence of a data transfer at a mediapresentation device, such as the media presentation device 104. The USBdata monitor 102 of the illustrated example is also used to collect datafrom a signal at the USB port 106 of the media presentation device 104.Determining if the media presentation device 104 is involved in a datatransfer and/or collecting data from the signal is useful in the contextof home audience measurement for example, to allow for additionalanalysis of audience measurement data.

Initially, the data input 402 of the illustrated example obtains asignal at the USB port 106 of the media presentation device 104 (block902). The data input 402 of the illustrated example obtains the signalat the data pins of the USB port 106. The bit rate comparator 404 of theillustrated example determines a bit rate of the signal obtained fromthe data input 402 (block 904). Example machine readable instructionsthat may be executed to determine the bit rate of the signal areillustrated in FIG. 10 and described below.

The bit rate comparator 404 of the illustrated example compares thedetermined bit rate of the signal to the threshold bit rate 408 (block906). If the bit rate does not exceed the threshold 408, the bit ratecomparator 404 of the illustrated example determines the mediapresentation device 104 is not involved in a data transfer (block 908).If the bit rate exceeds the threshold 408, the bit rate comparator 404of the illustrated example determines the media presentation device 104is involved in a data transfer (block 910). In the illustrated example,if the bit rate comparator 404 determines the media presentation device104 is involved in a data transfer, the bit rate comparator 404instructs the data collector 502 to collect (and/or retain previouslycollected data) data from the signal obtained by the data input 402. Atblock 912, the data collector 502 of the illustrated example collectsdata from the signal obtained by the data input 402 via the data pins atthe USB port 106. Collected data may include, for example, a type ofdata transfer occurring, source information, a payload, a code,metadata, a signature, and/or the audio signal itself. In some examples,the data collector 502 collects data continuously without beingtriggered by an occurrence of a data transfer.

The bit rate comparator 404 of the illustrated example passes transferactivity data indicative of whether the media presentation device isinvolved in a data transfer (e.g., a bit set high to indicate a datatransfer and/or a bit set low to indicate no data transfer) to thetimestamper 310. The data collector 502 of the illustrated examplepasses collected data to the timestamper 310. The timestamper 310 of theillustrated example timestamps the transfer activity data and/or thecollected data (block 914) and sends the transfer activity data and/orthe collected data to the database 312. The database 312 of theillustrated example stores the transfer activity data and/or thecollected data (block 916) and sends the transfer activity data and/orthe collected data to the transmitter 314. The transmitter 314 of theillustrated example transmits the transfer activity data and/or thecollected data to, for example, a central facility (e.g., the centralfacility 108 of FIG. 1 ) (block 918). In some examples, the transmitter314 transmits the transfer activity data and/or the collected data to ameter, for example the meter 202 of FIG. 2 , and/or timestamping is notperformed at the USB monitor 102. Control then returns to block 902 whenthe instructions are completed.

FIG. 10 is a flow diagram representative of example machine readableinstructions that may be executed to determine a bit rate of a signalobtained at the USB port 106 of the media presentation device 104. Theinstructions of the illustrated example are used to implement theexample USB data monitor 102 of FIGS. 4-5 .

Initially, the bit rate comparator 404 of the illustrated example setsthe timer 406 to a time interval (block 1002). The bit rate comparator404 of the illustrated example extracts data from the signal obtained atthe data input 402 via the USB port 106 (block 1004). The bit ratecomparator 404 of the illustrated example uses the timer 406 todetermine if the set time interval has been reached (block 1006). If thetime interval has not been reached, control returns to block 1004 andthe bit rate comparator 404 of the illustrated example continues toextract data from the signal. Once the time interval has been reached,the bit rate comparator 404 of the illustrated example counts the bitsin the extracted data (block 1008). The bit rate comparator 404 of theillustrated example determines the bit rate of the signal by dividingthe number of bits in the extracted data by the time interval (block1010). At block 1012, the instructions are completed.

A flowchart representative of example machine readable instructions forimplementing the example meter 202 of FIG. 6 is shown in FIG. 11 . Inthis example, the machine readable instructions comprise a program forexecution by a processor such as the processor 1212 shown in the exampleprocessor platform 1200 discussed below in connection with FIG. 12 . Theprogram may be embodied in software stored on a tangible computerreadable medium such as a CD-ROM, a floppy disk, a hard drive, a DVD, ora memory associated with the processor 1212, but the entire programand/or parts thereof could alternatively be executed by a device otherthan the processor 1212 and/or embodied in firmware or dedicatedhardware. Further, although the example program is described withreference to the flowchart illustrated in FIG. 11 , many other methodsof implementing the example meter 202 may alternatively be used. Forexample, the order of execution of the blocks may be changed, and/orsome of the blocks described may be changed, eliminated, or combined.

As mentioned above, the example process of FIG. 11 may be implementedusing coded instructions (e.g., computer readable instructions) storedon a tangible computer readable medium such as a hard disk drive, aflash memory, a ROM, a CD, a DVD, a cache, a RAM and/or any otherstorage media in which information is stored for any duration (e.g., forextended time periods, permanently, brief instances, for temporarilybuffering, and/or for caching of the information). Additionally oralternatively, the example process of FIG. 11 may be implemented usingcoded instructions (e.g., computer readable instructions) stored on anon-transitory computer readable medium such as a hard disk drive, aflash memory, a ROM, a CD, a DVD, a cache, a RAM and/or any otherstorage media in which information is stored for any duration (e.g., forextended time periods, permanently, brief instances, for temporarilybuffering, and/or for caching of the information).

FIG. 11 is a flow diagram representative of example machine readableinstructions that may be executed to implement the example meter 202 ofFIG. 6 . The meter 202 of the illustrated example is used to collect,aggregate, locally process, and/or transfer data to a central datafacility, such as the central data facility 112. In the illustratedexample, the meter 202 is used to extract and/or analyze codes and/orsignatures from data and/or signals collected by the example USB datamonitor 102 and/or via other channels.

Initially, the input 602 of the illustrated example obtains a signalfrom the USB data monitor 102 or via another channel (e.g., from freefield audio sampled by a microphone of the meter 202 for a differentdevice, etc.) (block 1102). The control logic 608 of the illustratedexample determines whether to collect a code or generate a signaturefrom the signal obtained at the input 602 (block 1104). In theillustrated example, either a code is collected or a signature isgenerated from the signal. In other examples, both a code and asignature are collected and/or generated.

If a code is to be collected, the code collector 604 of the illustratedexample collects a code from the signal obtained at the input 602 (block1106). The code collector 604 of the illustrated example passes thecollected code(s) to the database 610. If a signature is to begenerated, the signature generator 606 generates a signature from thesignal obtained at the input 602 (block 1108). The signature generator606 of the illustrated example passes the generated signature(s) to thedatabase 610. The database 610 of the illustrated example stores thecollected codes and/or generated signatures (block 1110) and passes thecodes and/or signatures to the transmitter 612. The transmitter 612 ofthe illustrated example transmits the collected codes and/or generatedsignatures to the central facility 112 via a network, such as thenetwork 114. Control then returns to block 1102 when the instructionsare completed.

FIG. 12 is a block diagram of an example processor platform 1200 capableof executing the instructions of FIG. 7, 8, 9, 10 , and/or 11 toimplement the example USB data monitor(s) 102 of FIG. 3, 4 , and/or 5,the example meter 202 of FIG. 6 , and/or the systems of FIG. 1 or 2 .The processor platform 1200 can be, for example, a server, a personalcomputer, an Internet appliance, a set top box, or any other type ofcomputing device.

The system 1200 of the instant example includes a processor 1212. Forexample, the processor 1212 can be implemented by one or moremicroprocessors or controllers from any desired family or manufacturer.

The processor 1212 includes a local memory 1213 (e.g., a cache) and isin communication with a main memory including a volatile memory 1214 anda non-volatile memory 1216 via a bus 1218. The volatile memory 1214 maybe implemented by Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory (“SDRAM”),Dynamic Random Access Memory (“DRAM”), RAIVIBUS Dynamic Random AccessMemory (“RDRAM”) and/or any other type of random access memory device.The non-volatile memory 1216 may be implemented by flash memory and/orany other desired type of memory device. Access to the main memory 1214,1216 is controlled by a memory controller.

The processor platform 1200 also includes an interface circuit 1220. Theinterface circuit 1220 may be implemented by any type of interfacestandard, such as an Ethernet interface, a USB, and/or a PCI expressinterface.

One or more input devices 1222 are connected to the interface circuit1220. The input device(s) 1222 permit a user to enter data and commandsinto the processor 1212. The input device(s) can be implemented by, forexample, a keyboard, a mouse, a touchscreen, a track-pad, and/or atrackball.

One or more output devices 1224 are also connected to the interfacecircuit 1220. The output devices 1224 can be implemented, for example,by display devices (e.g., a liquid crystal display, a cathode ray tubedisplay (“CRT”), a printer and/or speakers). The interface circuit 1220,thus, typically includes a graphics driver card.

The interface circuit 1220 also includes a communication device such asa modem or network interface card to facilitate exchange of data withexternal computers via a network 1226 (e.g., an Ethernet connection, aDSL, a telephone line, coaxial cable, a cellular telephone system,etc.).

The processor platform 1200 also includes one or more mass storagedevices 1228 for storing software and data. Examples of such massstorage devices 1228 include floppy disk drives, hard drive disks,compact disk drives and DVD drives. The mass storage device 1228 mayimplement a local storage device.

The coded instructions 1232 of FIG. 7, 8, 9, 10 and/or 11 may be storedin the mass storage device 1228, in the volatile memory 1214, in thenon-volatile memory 1216, and/or on a removable storage medium such as aCD or DVD.

Although certain example methods, systems, apparatus, and articles ofmanufacture have been described herein, the scope of coverage of thispatent is not limited thereto. On the contrary, this patent covers allmethods, systems and articles of manufacture fairly falling within thescope of the claims of this patent.

1. An audience measurement computing system for monitoring a mediapresentation device in a monitored environment, the audience measurementcomputing system comprising: a network interface; at least oneprocessor; and a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprisinginstructions executable by the at least one processor, wherein theaudience measurement computing system is configured to perform a set ofoperations comprising: obtaining, via a cable connected to an input portof the media presentation device, a voltage signal generated by themedia presentation device based on an operational state of the mediapresentation device; comparing voltage indicated by the voltage signalto a voltage threshold, the voltage threshold being a threshold valuethat, when exceeded by the voltage, indicates that the operational stateof the media presentation device is an on-state; based on the comparing,generating timestamped operational state data comprising a recordindicative of when the media presentation device is in the on-state;obtaining audience measurement data representing one or more mediasignals communicated to the media presentation device; and transmitting,via the network interface over a network and to a central facilitylocated remotely from the audience measurement computing system, thetimestamped operational state data and the audience measurement data. 2.The audience measurement computing system of claim 1, wherein themonitored environment is a panelist household, the set of operationsfurther comprising: collecting information identifying one or moreaudience members of the panelist household within which the audiencemeasurement computing system and media presentation device are located;and transmitting the collected information to the central facility. 3.The audience measurement computing system of claim 2, wherein thecollected information comprises demographic information of the one ormore audience members.
 4. The audience measurement computing system ofclaim 2, wherein the one or more audience members are panelists that arestatistically selected by an audience measurement entity associated withthe central facility to represent at least one particular demographicgroup.
 5. The audience measurement computing system of claim 1, whereinobtaining the audience measurement data comprises: collectingmedia-identifying data from the one or more media signals communicatedto the media presentation device, the media-identifying data useable foridentifying one or more of a source of the one or more media signals orcontent carried by the one or more media signals, and the collectingcomprising one or more of (i) extracting a code embedded in the one ormore media signals or (ii) generating a signature based on the one ormore media signals; and wherein transmitting the audience measurementdata comprises transmitting the collected media-identifying data.
 6. Theaudience measurement computing system of claim 5, wherein the collectingis performed continuously as the one or more media signals arecommunicated to the media presentation device.
 7. The audiencemeasurement computing system of claim 5, the set of operations furthercomprising: based on the comparing, determining that the mediapresentation device is in the on-state, wherein the collecting istriggered in response to determining that the operational state of themedia presentation device is the on-state.
 8. The audience measurementcomputing system of claim 1, further comprising a microphone configuredto detect sound played out by the media presentation device, the set ofoperations further comprising collecting media-identifying data from theone or more media signals using the microphone.
 9. The audiencemeasurement computing system of claim 1, the set of operations furthercomprising: generating media exposure data based on the timestampedoperational state data and the audience measurement data, the mediaexposure data indicating times at which the media presentation devicepresented media content to one or more audience members while the mediapresentation device was in the on-state, wherein transmitting thetimestamped operational state data and the audience measurement datacomprises transmitting the generated media exposure data.
 10. Theaudience measurement computing system of claim 1, wherein the input portof the media presentation device is a universal serial bus (USB) port.11. The audience measurement computing system of claim 1, wherein thegenerated timestamped operational state data further comprises a recordindicative of when the media presentation device is in an off-state. 12.The audience measurement computing system of claim 1, further comprisinga voltage comparator configured to obtain the voltage signal and comparethe voltage indicated by the voltage signal to the voltage threshold.13. A meter for monitoring media exposure via a television to audiencemembers of a household, the meter comprising: a microphone configured todetect sound played out by the television; a network interface; at leastone processor; and a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprisinginstructions that, when executed, cause the at least one processor toperform a set of operations comprising: obtaining operational state dataidentifying whether an operational state of the television is anon-state or an off-state at a given time, the operational statedetermined based on a comparison of a voltage signal output from aninput port of the television to a threshold, the threshold being athreshold value that, when exceeded by a voltage of the voltage signal,indicates that the operational state of the television is the on-state;timestamping the operational state data to generate a record indicativeof whether the television is in the on-state or the off-state at thegiven time; obtaining audience measurement data representing one or moremedia signals communicated to the television, wherein the one or moremedia signals are collected using the microphone; and transmitting, overa network and to a central facility located remotely from the meter, thetimestamped operational state data and the audience measurement data.14. The meter of claim 13, wherein: the meter and the television arelocated within the household, and the household comprises one or moreaudience members that are statistically selected by an audiencemeasurement entity associated with the central facility to represent atleast one particular demographic group.
 15. The meter of claim 14, theset of operations further comprising: collecting information identifyingthe one or more audience members; and transmitting the collectedinformation to the central facility.
 16. The meter of claim 13, whereinobtaining the audience measurement data comprises: collectingmedia-identifying data from the one or more media signals communicatedto the television, the media-identifying data useable for identifyingone or more of a source of the one or more media signals or contentcarried by the one or more media signals, and the collecting comprisingone or more of (i) extracting a code embedded in the one or more mediasignals or (ii) generating a signature based on the one or more mediasignals; and wherein transmitting the audience measurement datacomprises transmitting the collected media-identifying data.
 17. Themeter of claim 16, wherein the collecting is performed continuously asthe one or more media signals are communicated to the television. 18.The meter of claim 16, the set of operations further comprising: basedon the obtained operational state data, determining that the televisionis in the on-state, wherein the collecting is triggered in response todetermining that the television is in the on-state.
 19. A systemcomprising: a microphone; a network interface; a voltage comparator to:obtain, via a cable connected to an input port of a media presentationdevice located within a monitored environment, a voltage signalgenerated by the media presentation device based on an operational stateof the media presentation device, and compare voltage indicated by thevoltage signal to a voltage threshold, the voltage threshold being athreshold value that, when exceeded by the voltage, indicates that themedia presentation device is powered on; memory; and at least oneprocessor configured to: based on the comparing, determine that themedia presentation device is powered on; based on the determination thatthe media presentation device is powered on, trigger collection ofmedia-identifying data from one or more media signals output by themedia presentation device and detected by the microphone within themonitored environment, the media-identifying data useable foridentifying one or more of a source of the one or more media signals orcontent carried by the one or more media signals, and the collectingcomprising one or more of (i) extracting a code embedded in the one ormore media signals or (ii) generating a signature based on the one ormore media signals; store the collected media-identifying data in thememory; and transmit the collected media-identifying data via thenetwork interface, over a network, and to a central facility that isseparate and remote from the system.
 20. The system of claim 19, whereinthe at least one processor is further configured to: transmit, to thecentral facility, a timestamp of when the media presentation device ispowered on.